Synopsis

Pelham Fell Here offers readers Frank Johnson's rich back story, an unusual departure from most of today's private eye series. We learn how the ex-military cop and part-time gunsmith Frank, now back living in his hometown of Pelham, Virginia, gets into the private investigator racket. He discovers somebody has killed his cousin Cody Chapman with a twelve-gauge shotgun blast. Enraged, Frank wants some answers and wants them fast. Was Cody involved in an illegal arms smuggling scheme? The disturbing mystery grows deeper when a pair of murderous deputy sheriffs ambush Frank on the river. After killing them in self-defense, Frank must take it on the lam while he continues his investigation, relying on his wits and smarts. Eventually, he finds a vicious group of Neo-Nazis holed up in a remote mountain castle may be behind Cody's murder. Frank realizes he's outnumbered and outgunned, but it hardly deters him from seeing the fight through to the end. Luckily, a couple of bounty hunter pals, Gerald and his kid brother Chet Peyton, throw in with Frank to even the odds. Events heat up to a frenetic pace until the climatic moment when Frank finds himself entangled in a dogfight for his very life.

“Ed Lynskey's new novel PELHAM FELL HERE is a delight. With a plot as complex as your grandmother's crocheted doilies, Mr. Lynskey creates a portrait of the rural hill country that rings as true as the clank of a Copenhagen can on a PBR can, as does his handle on guns, love, and betrayal. This a novel well worth the read and makes me want more.”James Crumley, author of THE LAST GOOD KISS

"PELHAM FELL HERE bears the richest nicotine and bourbon stains of the hardboiled genre, yet also bristles with vitality. The plot sings, the characters are twisty and textured and the violence brutal but inevitable. All of these elements would be more than enough yet Ed Lynskey offers so much more in the form of a perfectly pitched prose style that swings effortlessly from back-country grit to Appalachian poetry and back again." Megan Abbott, Edgar-winning author of QUEENPIN

"Fast-paced...strong characterization...Lynskey has created a gritty, violence-packed tale of murder and mayhem...quite entertaining." Ray Walsh, Lansing State Journal

"Gritty." Faye Dasen, Southern Pines (NC) Pilot

"Wow. If you are a Lee Childs fan, then plan on grabbing this one to keep you going between Jack Reacher adventures...we want to see more of this guy." Jack Quick, bookbitch.com and 4 Mystery Addicts (4MA) Yahoo Group

"The action moves forward at a rapid pace leaving little time for readers to catch their breath, as it were. In all, it's exceptionally well done." Lance Wright, Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

"Dark, gritty, and as merciless as a farm foreclosure." J.D. Rhoades, Murderati Blog